The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-12-14
EYES OPENED.
DIR, TALMAGE'S SUNDAY SERMON
What Nav Be Seen When the Scales
Fall From Our Eyes.

- S~~~ w.
TENT: "A7ad the Lord opened the eyes Of
the young mGn."-II. Kings vi, II.
One morning in Dothan a young theologi
cal student was scared by finding himself and
Elisha, the prophet, upon whom he waited,
surrounded by a whole army of enemies. But
venerable Elisha was not scared at all, be-
cause he saw the mountains full of defense
Tor him, IN chariots made out of fire, wheels
OF fire, dashboard Of fire and cushions OF fire,
drawn by horses with nostrils Of fire, and
names of fire, and launches of fire, and koofs
OF hre-a supernatural appearance that could
not be seen with the natural eye. So the old
minister prayed that the young minister
might see them also. and the prayer was an
swered, and the Lord opened the eyes of the
young man and he also saw the fiery proces.
son, looking somewhat, suppose, like the
AdIrondacks or the AlleShanles in this au-
tunnal resplendence.
Many young men, standing among the
most tremendous realities, have their eyes
half shut or entirely closed. May God grant
that my sermon may open wide your eyes 10
your safety, your opportunity and your des-
tiny.
4 mighty defense for young man is a
good home. Some Of my hearers look back
with tender satisfaction to their early home.
1t may have been rude and rustic, hidden
among the hills, and architect or upholsterer
naver planned or adorned it. But all the
fresco on princely walls never looked so en-
ticng to you as those rough hewn rafters
You can think of no park or arbor Of trees
planted on fashionable country seat so at.
tractive as the plain brook that ran in front
Of the old farmhouses and sang under
the weeping willows No barred gateway,
adorned with statue Of bronze, and swung
open by obsequious porter in full dress, has
half the glory Of the swing gate. Many Of
adopted home, that also IS sacred forever.
There you built the first family altar. There
your children were born. All those trees you
planted. That room is solemn, because once
IN it, over the hot pillow, tapped the wing
Of death. Under that roof you expect when
your work is done to lie down and die You
try with many words TO tell the excellency
Of the place, but you fail. There is only one
word In the Language that can describe your
meaning. It is home.
Now, declare that q young man IS COM
paratively safe who goes out into the world
with a charm like this upon him. The mem
ory Of parental sol icitude, watching, plan
ming and praying, will be to him shield and
shelter. never knew q man faithful both
to his early and adopted home, who at the
same time was given over to any gross form
of dissipation or wickeinesS He who seeks
his enjoyment chiefly from outside associa-
ton, rather than from the more quiet and
unpresuming pleasures of which I have
road to ruin. Absalonl despised his fathers
house, and you know his history of sin and
his death Of shame. If you seem unneces-
earily isolated from your kindred and former
associates, is there not some room that you
can call your owns Into it gather books and
pictures and harp. Have portrait over
the mantel. Make ungodly nirth stand back
with the knee Of prayer. By the memory of
other days. fathers counsel and mothers
love, and a sisters confidence. call It home.
Another defense for young man is indus
Srlous habit. Many young men, in starting
upon hfe in this age, expect to make their
way through the world by the use of their
wits rather than the toll Of their hands. A
child now goes to the city and fails twice be-
fore he is as old as his father was when he
first saw the splres of the great town Sit
ting in some Office rented at $1,000 a year,
he IS waiting for the bank to declare its divi.
dend, or goes into the market expecting be-
fore night to be made rich by the rushing up
Of the stocks. But luck seemed so dull he re-
solved on some other tack Perhaps he bor-
rows from his employers money drawer,
and forgets to put it back or for merely the
purpose OF improving his penlnanship makes
copy plate OF merchants signature. Never
mind, all is right in trade In some dark
night there may come in his dreams vision
Of Blackwelrs Island, or of Sing Sing, but
it soon vaniShes. In short time he will
be ready to retire from the busy world,
and amid his fools and herds culture the
domestic virtues. Then those Young men
who once were his schoclmates, and knew no
better than to engage in honest work, will
come with their OK teams to draw him logs
and with their hard hands help heave up his
castle. This is no fancy picture Its every.
day life. I should not wonder if there were
some rotten beams in that beautiful palace.
should not wonder If dire sic&neSses should
synite through the young man, or if God
should pour into his cup OF life draught
that would thrill him with Undesirable agony.
lshould not wonder if his children should
become to him living curse, making his
home pest and disgrace. 7 should not
wonder # be goes to a miserable grave, and
beyond it into the gnashing Of teeth. The
way of the ungodly shall perish.
My,young friends, there is no way to genu-
me success except through toll either Of the
1S4s the Prince of Wales, finding himself
heavily pressed by the enemy, sent word to
bis father for help. The father, watching
the cattle from windmill and seeing that
his son was not wounded and could gain the
day If he would, sent word: NO. will NOT
come. Let the boy win his spurs, for, if
God Will, desire that this day he his with
all IT'S honorS." Young man. fight your own
battle all through and you shall have the
victory. Oh, it is battle worth fighting.
Two monarchs Of old fought duel, Charles
Y. and Francis, end the stakes were king.
doms-Milan and Burgundy. You fight with
sin and tho FOL t-eS baavao nall
Do not get the fatal idea that You are a
genius, and that therefore there is no need
Of close application. 1t is here where multi
tudes fail The great curse Of this age is the
genluses, men with enormous self conceit and
egotisn1, and nothing else I had rather 5e
an OK than an eagle; plain, and piodding, and
useful, rather than high flying and good for
nothing but to pick out the eyes Of carcasses.
Extraordinary capacity without use is extra
person who begins his life resolved to live by
his wits, for the probability is he has not
any. 1t was not safe for Adam, even in his
unfallen state, to have nothing to do,
and. therefore, God commanded him
to be farmer and horticulturist.
He was to dress the garden and
keep it, and had he and his wife obeyed the
divine injunction and been at work, they
would not have been sauntering under the
trees and hcngering after that fruit which
destroyed them and their posterity proof
positive for all ages to come that those who
do not attend to their business are sure to get
INTO mischief. I do not know that the prod
Igal N Scripture would ever have been re-
claimed had he not given up his idle habits
ana gone to feeding swine for a living. "Go
to the ant, thou sluggard: consider her ways
and be wise, which, having no overseer OF
guide, provideth her food in the summer and
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